In the electronic information age, individuals and organizations may quickly and easily share, access, and disseminate high volumes of information. For many individuals and organizations, the ease with which information may be disseminated electronically is empowering. However, the ubiquity of high-speed Internet access and smart mobile devices may pose unique challenges for individuals and organizations concerned with preventing the loss and/or exposure of sensitive data. Individuals and organizations are therefore increasingly looking for solutions to control the distribution of sensitive data.
Traditional computing security solutions may include installing system-level software, such as data loss prevention software, on a computing system to monitor activity on the computing system and prevent operations that would copy and/or distribute sensitive data. However, some mobile computing platforms are restricted and/or closed, discouraging and/or preventing users from installing software of their choice and/or from installing system-level software that would provide sufficient access for a data loss prevention system to operate effectively.
One alternative to installing system-level data loss prevention software on restricted and/or closed mobile computing systems may entail creating a custom application for a mobile platform to retrieve, store, and handle sensitive data without sharing the data with other applications on the mobile platform. However, some mobile platforms may still provide global features that can inspect and/or copy data handled by individual applications. For example, many mobile platforms may include an integrated screenshot tool that may allow a user to quickly copy sensitive data displayed by an application, effectively circumventing the protection offered by the custom application. Accordingly, the instant disclosure identifies a need for additional and improved systems and methods for data loss prevention on mobile computing systems.